tech

Fidget Spinners – Craze or Crazy?

By Paul B. Kaiser on July 1, 2017

The craze, the fad, the mystery, the money – it’s Fidget Spinners for 2017. If you have kids you know about Fidget Spinners. Or if you act like a kid in my case. Fidget Spinners are the latest craze, so hop on the train while it’s hot. Here’s the scoop in this cool gadget.

Fidget spinners are getting a lot of bad press lately – bursting into flames, causing fights and danger to young kids. While I don’t dispute there are some concerns, like any other toy, if handled properly, it is just simple stupid fun. And that’s all it is. Believe me in 3 months the hype will be over and nobody will remember. With that said, I find them irresistible and when Im sitting in front of the computer or TV it is just mindless finger exercises.

So what exactly is the infatuation? How long have they been around? Are there any positive things to say about spinners? There are a couple. They are said to:

Be stress relievers
Relieve nervous energy and psychological stress
And supposedly used in the treatment of autism and ADHD (I doubt this one is true)

“Using a spinner-like gadget is more likely to serve as a distraction than a benefit for individuals with ADHD,” said Mark Rapport, a clinical psychologist.

What is a Fidget Spinner?

A fidget spinner is a toy that consists of a bearing in the center of a multi-lobed flat structure made from metal or plastic designed to spin along its axis with little effort.

Fidget spinners became popular toys in 2017, although similar devices had already been invented in 1993. The toy became popular among schoolchildren. Some schools banned the spinners for being a distraction, while other schools allowed the toy to be used discreetly.

popularity map — The popularity of Fidgit Spinners in the US

Where did Fidget Spinners originate?

Catherine Hettinger, a chemical engineer by training, was initially credited by some news stories to have been the inventor of the fidget spinner, including by media outlets such as The Guardian, The New York Times, and the New York Post. Hettinger filed a patent application for a “spinning toy” in 1993 and a patent was issued, but Hettinger allowed the patent to lapse in 2005 after she could not find a commercial partner. A May 2017 Bloomberg News article showed that Hettinger was not the inventor of the fidget spinner, and Hettinger agreed. In an interview appearing on May 4, 2017 on NPR, Scott McCoskery described how he invented a metal spinning device in 2014 to cope with his own fidgeting in IT meetings and conference calls. And the rest is history.

Bluetooth enabled Fidget Spinners

If that wasn’t enough, now you can buy fidget spinners that are bluetooth enabled and connect to your phone and play music. A company called BlueSpin is about to launch a spinner that connects to an app on your phone that gamifies the fidget spinner experience, allowing you to complete trick challenges, share your scores, and chat with your friends about how much you love fidget spinning.

bluetooth

The spinner includes touch sensitive buttons on each side, and an accelerometer to track motion. It can track your speed and number of spins (thanks, magnets), and tell you how cool you are whenever you manage to transfer the spinner from hand to hand, or balance it on a single finger. The tiny built-in battery is replaceable, and supposed to last for an entire year on a single charge.

How many Fidget Spinners have sold?

Right now, the market is flooded with cratefuls of imitations, most from China. Some version of fidget spinners currently occupies all of Amazon’s Top 20 best-selling toys and games.

Allen Ashkenazie is executive vice president of Almar Sales in New York City, a supplier of toys to such retailers as Wal-Mart and Toys ‘R’ Us, said that by the end of May his company will have shipped out 45 million fidget spinners that retail from $5 to $25 each.

Types of Fidget Spinners [Pics]

In the news

Tricks with your Fidget Spinner

“Hello” iPhone – The evolution over 10 years

By Paul B. Kaiser on June 29, 2017

The TV commercial for the iPhone only had one word in the ad – “Hello.” It would be the pinnacle of accomplishment that Steve Jobs had worked his whole life towards. He drove this innovation smart and tough. The association with AT&T was bold, but a neccisity to make the iPhone an exclusive toy. The iPhone became so popular and it put Blackberry out of business, changed the way we listen to music and ultimately built the house of Apple – the new Apple campus.

TV commercial for the first iPhone – “Hello”

10 years ago today, the tech, phone, and consumer industry changed forever. The iPhone was shipped and in the hands of the consumer. I had the Palm Treo which seemed so magical, but then the iPhone came out and I felt like I had the oldest tech around. It had a full touch screen! No need for buttons – yikes.

As we near the debut of the new iPhone in September of 2017, the 10 year mark which is today, June 29th, 2017, we are is reminded just how much we love our phones. We have spent billions of dollars and created an empire. Ironically, I have never owned an iPhone, but I love Apple, and I love everything they do for technology and consumerism. I feel compelled to write about the iPhone because it was an invention, not just a phone. I thought I’d let the pictures, videos and charts tell the story.

Steve Jobs made the announcement just 6 months previous to the launch, and the promise of a tech revolution looked real. He stated that…

“Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything … One is very fortunate if you get to work on just one of these in your career. Apple’s been very fortunate. It’s been able to introduce a few of these into the world.”

The evolution of the iPhone (minus the iphone 7)

iPhone 1 – 2007

iPhone 2 – 2008

iPhone 3- 2009

iPhone 4 – 2011

iPhone 5 – 2013

iPhone 6 – 2014

iPhone 7 – 2016

iPhone Fun Facts

Here are some Interesting Facts about this iPhone:

iPhone started as a Tablet Project, but when the Apple employees came up with an iPad design with a virtual keyboard, Steve Jobs thought that they can apply this technology to a phone and this is how, iPhone came into existence.
Exclusive rights for selling the first iPhone were Turned Down by Verizon – (LOL)
Apple, when looking for a carrier partner to sell the first iPhone insisted that the device will only carry the Apple’s Logo and not that of the carrier.
The App Store by Apple was the first online space that offered downloading an app legally.
All the iPhones in the iPhone advertisements show the time 9:41. This is the time when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007.
While Samsung and Apple are the biggest rivals, but not everyone knows that Samsung makes the processors for iPhones.
In 2007, iPhone was awarded as the “Invention of the Year” by Times Magazine.
In 2012, Apple sold 340,000 iPhones per day. A whopping 125 Million iPhones for the year.
Apple’s iPhone has higher sales as compared to everything being sold under the label “Microsoft”.
Apple’s iPhone in Brazil is Twice More Expensive than in the USA.

What to expect from TechCrunch’s Disrupt 2017

By Paul B. Kaiser on May 13, 2017

What Is Disrupt?

TechCrunch Disrupt is the premier startup and technology news conference that brings to life all the things that make techcrunch.com great – startups, news, and a no “BS” attitude. Digital Intervention will be there this week to take in this experience. For full information from TechCrunch, click here.

What Can You Do At Disrupt?

TechCrunch Disrupt is for anyone who is interested in startups and tech. It has become the “Go To” event for Tech startups.

Get breaking news first-hand from our Disrupt main stage with high-profile speakers and thought leaders.
Watch the ultimate pitch competition during the Startup Battlefield, where a select handful of top-notch early stage startups compete for a $50,000 grand prize and the coveted Disrupt Cup.
Discover & meet hundreds of early stage startups in Startup Alley or Hardware Alley. Startups exhibiting in the Alley change each and every day!
Network and schedule meetings with other attendees through the Disrupt App.
Investors and Startups get matched with CrunchMatch, a curated matching program with private meeting spaces at Disrupt.
Decompress after a full day at the official Disrupt After Party.

Here are a few items you can expect at Disrupt NY 2017 according to Tech Crunch.

Derek Jeter and Jaymee Messler of The Players’ Tribune will discuss the future of the site and sports media. Facebook’s Fidji Simo will talk about how video leads the site’s content creation and what comes next. We have AngelList founder Naval Ravikant discussing changes in how investing is done. And author, famed World Chess Champion and political enthusiast Garry Kasparov will talk about his new book, “Deep Thinking: Where Machine Intelligence Ends and Human Creativity Begins.”

Incubus guitarist Michael Einziger is set to close the show on Wednesday, May 17th with a special musical presentation, featuring Pharrell Williams and Incubus, that will demonstrate the technology developed by his startup, MIXhalo. We’ll hear about what exciting things Instagram’s head of product, Kevin Weil, has in store for us and we’ll hear from the co-founder of Campaign Zero, Brittany Packnett, about how data is used in social movements. And, of course, there are 20 amazing young companies in Startup Battlefield that will compete to win the Disrupt Cup and $50,000.

Full agenda is here.

The Hackathon at Disrupt – Where Great Products Are Born in 24 Hours

Preceding the Disrupt Conference is Hackathon weekend on May 13-14, where developers and engineers descend from all over the world to take part in a 24-hour hacking endurance test. Teams join forces to build a new product, present it on the Disrupt stage to a panel of expert judges and an audience of tens of thousands and compete for a variety of prizes, including the chance to win free tickets to the Disrupt Conference. Products created at the Disrupt Hackathon have seen great success beyond the event, like GroupMe which was created overnight and ultimately acquired by Skype for $80M.

More info on the Hackathon.

Showcase Stage Demos In Startup Alley

Stop by the Showcase Stage in the heart of Startup Alley to see startups in these fields demo their company’s innovations at 12:00pm each day of the conference.

STARTUP BATTLEFIELD

Startup Battlefield brings the world’s top early stage startups together on one stage to compete for the coveted Disrupt Cup, a $50,000 prize, and the attention of media and investors. Since appearing on the TechCrunch stage, Battlefield alumni have collectively raised over $6.9 billion. The judges include TechCrunch editors as well as top VCs and entrepreneurs, and past winners include names like Dropbox, Mint, Yammer, Zenefits, and many more. Participation is free and open. More info.

Casey Neistat at TechCrunch 2016

Get the Users Guide to Disrupt

Amazon Echo Show meet the Jetsons

By Paul B. Kaiser on May 11, 2017

Amazon announced their latest device this week called the Echo Show – see here for ordering. It is basically a communication device to humans and your home. Control the house, chat/video a friend, view the news, and see the world (I could be their new copy writer). You can even get your doctor to make a visit. I think some people will like the video chat aspect, but others will be bothered by “being on demand” 24/7. Meanwhile, users of that newest Echo, the Echo Show, which has the screen and video feature, will get added services, it seems. One new feature is called “Drop In” — which lets you make a call to someone without them even answering the phone first. Kind of like someone coming to your house and either peeking through the window as they’re knocking, or maybe just walking straight in.

So has the Jetsons future finally come to fruition? (Here is all the info about the Jetsons for the youths of this blog). I think it has really already been here, but Amazon has repackaged technologies we’re already using. But to their credit they are becoming experts at these devices and marketing them. Amazon has quite a line up of devices using Alexa, including the new Echo Show or Echo Look).

But it has its uses. For example, you can check in on elderly relatives, or letting your family in another room know it’s time for dinner — or perhaps making sure you kid is really doing homework and not watching YouTube.

Here are a few more day to day uses for the Amazon Echo Show:

Make phone calls (basically, landline calls)

Just when you thought house phones were dead, Amazon is keeping them alive, except you can do it over Wifi. However, you will need the Alexa App on both ends.

Control your home

Controlling your lights, door locks, appliances, switches and other smart home devices is probably what Alexa is best at doing. You can browse the smart home compatibility devices to see what you can control.

Control your lights. You can ask Alexa to turn lights on or off. She’ll even change the color if the lights are color-changing.
Open or close your garage door. Smart garage door openers like Garageio work with Alexa.
Change the temperature. “Hey Alexa, set the temperature to 68.” Honeywell, Nest and Ecobee are just a few thermostats that work with Alexa.

Click here for all Alexa compatible devices

Control your TV

Stop looking around for the remote – Alexa can control your TV “almost” entirely by voice. The setup takes some money and time, but once you’re set up, you can say things like:

Alexa, turn on the TV.
Alexa, turn on Netflix.
Alexa, tell Harmony to pause

I just don’t know if voice activated devices will be popular forever. While I think it’s very cool, it is also annoying. And not practical in every situation.

Use Spotify to play music

By default, Alexa plays music through Amazon Music, but if you use Spotify, you can change this setting so that Alexa uses Spotify as the default player. Here’s how.

Visit from your doctor

Again this is a technology that has been around, but somehow having this Amazon device as a the centerpiece, it seems natural to invite your doctor into the house. One of the telemedicine companies doing this now is MeDoc.

At the end of the day, Im not sure if Im bought into this eco-system from Amazon. If you’re a Prime member, it may be a no brainer, it connects the Amazon world. But I think there still a few more bugs to iron out, mainly that it needs to work outside the Amazon eco-system. Rumor has it that Apple and Microsoft have similar products to unroll, so we’ll see who can do it better.

Jetsons cartoon show opening

Podcasting for business and culture at Bell Labs

By Paul B. Kaiser on May 4, 2017

On Thursday night (5/4/17) Bell Works in Holmdel NJ will host a special event featuring a panel event on podcasting and the effects on business and culture. Podcasting has quickly become a powerful tool for businesses to market themselves and for people to reinvent themselves. If you don’t know what podcasting is yet, check out my other article – The Power of Podcasts, but know that this medium, really a radio show on steroids, is helping businesses around the world get the word out. And the thing is anybody can do a podcast that will be available to literally the entire world. According to a report by Edison Research

“Over 98 Million People ListenTo Podcasts In 2016”

Overall, podcast listening increased from 11% to 36%, translating into an estimated population of 98 million (Edison Research). Even more 21% of Americans over age 12 have listened to a podcast in the past month growing since a 12% share in 2013 (Pew Research). Certainly, podcasts are incrementally growing. Because podcasts listeners will form relationships with hosts and are loyal to show they are following, listeners will tend to return back to shows on a regular and timely basis, whether weekly or monthly (Columbia University).

And the nice thing is that men and women are almost equally listening to podcasts.

In any event, podcasting is securing its prowess in the fabric of business marketing, and even better they are entertaining. They all have personalty that speaks to “you” and cover any topic imaginable. So what is tonights topic? All panelists will speak from their experience about podcasting as a business, including emerging business models that have proven more and less successful. The panel will be moderated by Julia Zapcic of digital marketing agency Marketing Rival and sponsored by Bell Works and vi Innovation Hub.

The panels are made up of the following:

Fan Theory Podcast, affiliated with USA Today Network & APP.COM, hosted by Felecia Wellington Radel and Alex Biese.
I Sell Comics/Ming & Mike Podcast, affiliated with SMODCO (Kevin Smith’s entertainment company) and AMC TV’s Comic Book Men unscripted tv show and hosted by Mike Zapcic and Ming Chen.
Neil Mody, founder of Sparemin, a software startup promising to do for self-produced audio what Youtube did for self-produced video.

Fan Theory will provide a big picture view of corporate-backed podcasting/linked to an established media resource (USA Today/Gannett). Also, how podcasting helps build community and feeds into other conversations that open doors to affiliated business opportunities, including creation or enhancement of events based on a podcast or the larger fan community.

Mike & Ming will bring the ‘organically grown’ experience of podcasting to the table — building an audience and message around a very personal/personality driven passion. Also, using podcasting to promote a strongly held, personal agenda, ie: more inclusive society; culture that values storytelling and shared goals and aspirations; encouraging the ‘average geek’ to get creative and create something that celebrates what’s important to them in their lives.

Neil Mody and Sparemin will demo new technology currently being used by major media outlets to do on-the-spot audio capture and upload that allows users to produce relevant, relatable content in real time. Neil will talk about who’s already using it, their experience and the impact of this tech in podcasting.

All in all it sounds like a great night.

Wrap up

Last night was informative on podcasting and the future. And it was a historic moment for Bell Works. The theatre opened for the first time since the place was shut down, and we were the first event to be hosted. Quite an honor. Below are some pictures of Bell Works and the event.

Tech Companies are Redefining Themselves in Silicon Valley

By Paul B. Kaiser on March 30, 2017

Silicon Valley real estate is on fire again. Tech companies are reinventing themselves through architecture. While the Apple spaceship has caught the eye of everyone recently, many other tech companies are setting up new digs for their headquarters too. Google, not to be outdone by Apple, is building a new headquarters in Mountain View, as well as Nividia, Google West, and Facebook which was just completed. Check out the new Silicon Valley.

Google Headquarters

The whole project is a part of Mountain View’s North Bayshore Precise Plan — an environmentally-focused effort to revitalize the underdeveloped area along Highway 101. The final campus will be nearly 600,000 square feet. There will be 45,000 square feet of interior landscaping and nearly 20,000 square feet of public walkways.

Incorporating designers and architects from New York, London, and Santa Monica, the campus is intended to have fully developed indoor and outdoor spaces that incorporate “native habitats and vegetation.” What’s being called a “Green Loop” will run through the campus, pathways that will snake through parks lined with cafes and shops. Google is designing this section with the public in mind — a sort of National Mall to its Washington Monument.

Facebook HQ

With Facebook recently topping 10,000 employees, growing its ranks 48 percent in the past year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg needed a new building. In March, Facebook opened the doors on the new space, which Zuckerberg partnered on with Frank Gehry—and it opened the doors to CNBC’s cameras for the first time.

Gehry created the world’s largest open floor plan in the world, and Facebook commissioned local artists to decorate it. The 430,000 square-foot space fits 2,800 employees, and Zuckerberg has a desk right in the middle.

The goal of the building—MPK20 (for Menlo Park Campus building 20)—was to be to create a space that’s eco-friendly and reflects Facebook’s mission to connect people.

Nividia HQ

Nvidia, a graphics chipmaker, has put grand plans for a Gensler-designed facility across from their current Headquarters on hold for an undetermined period of time. If built, the triagular-shaped structures will yield 1M square feet of office space, and bring bold architecture to cookie-cutter Santa Clara.

Google Bay View Campus

Google has pushed back plans to build a massive new “Bay View” campus on the former site of the NASA-Ames research center in Mountain View. The project is now scheduled to be built in three phases, with construction wrapping up by 2022. The new buildings will house between 3,500 and 5,000 employees, and will feature stunning views of the Bay and surrounding wetlands.

Bonus round HQ – Amazon

Amazon.com this week revealed plans for three verdant bubbles in downtown Seattle, joining Apple’s circular “spaceship,” Facebook’s Frank Gehry-designed open-office complex and a new Googleplex on the list of planned trophy offices. This is being built in Seattle but check out this design.

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